20,000 Afghan Arbaeen pilgrims left undecided for entry to Iran

Twenty thousand Afghans prepared to perform the Arbaeen pilgrimage are left undecided for entry to Iran, even though their visas have been issued by the Iraqi consulate in Mashhad.

Mohammad Kabir Taheri Teymouriyan, Head of Afghanistan’s Holy Shrines Union shared this news with the Shia Waves Agency, and said: “Based on the agreement reached between Seyyed Hassan Mortazavi, Deputy Consul General of Islamic Republic of Iran in Kabul, and Mohammad Nabi Baha, acting head of the Ministry of Information and Culture of the Taliban government, all permissions had been issued to send Fifty thousand Afghan pilgrims for this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage.

He further stated that, so far, the Iraqi consulate in Mashhad has issued visas for 25,000 Afghan pilgrims, but with all the assistance of Mr. Ghodrati, Consul General of the Iranian Embassy in Afghanistan, only 5,000 of two-entry visas to Iran have been issued for the Afghan pilgrims.

Teymouriyan expressed concerns over the 20,000 Afghan pilgrims left undecided without two-entry visas to Iran, and stated: “Visas for this number of Arbaeen pilgrims have not yet been issued while the announced quota for Afghan pilgrims was 50,000, according to the agreement made with the relevant Iranian authorities, but so far only five thousand people have been able to make this trip.”

This official has asked the Iranian authorities to fulfill their agreement, and to issue two-entry visas to Iran for the remaining 20,000 Afghan pilgrims who have been issued free Iraqi visas. He has also requested all due assistance for the 25,000 pilgrims who will apply for visas in the near future.